My Flat

We have a nice flat in a new block of flats. Our flat is on the second floor of a five-storeyed building. It has all modem conveniences: central heating, running hot and cold water, electricity, gas.

We have a three-room flat which consists of a living-room, a bedroom, a study (which is also my room), a kitchen, a bath-room and a toilet. Our flat has two balconies.

The living-room is the largest and most comfortable one in the flat. In the middle of the room we have a square dinner-table with six chairs round it. To the left of the dinner-table there is a wall-unit which has several sections: a sideboard, a wardrobe and some shelves. At the opposite wall there is a piano and a piano stool. To the right there is a low table with color TV-set on it. Opposite the TV set there are two cozy armchairs. A divan-bed and a standard lamp are in the left-hand corner. In front of the armchairs there is a small round table for newspapers and magazines. There is a thick carpet on the floor. Two pictures hang on the wall above the divan-bed. In the evening we usually draw the curtains across the windows, and a red lampshade gives a warm color to the room.

The bedroom is smaller than the living-room and not so light as there is only one window in it. In this room there are two beds, two dressing-tables and a wardrobe. In the corner of the bedroom there is a small colour TV set. On the dressing table there is an alarm-clock and a small lamp with green lamp-shade.

Our study is the smallest room in the flat, but in spite of it, it is very comfortable. There isn't much furniture in it, but there are a lot of shelves full of books. It has a writing table, an armchair and a bookcase too. A small round table with a cassette-recorder is standing in the right-hand corner of the study. Besides there is a small sofa near the wall opposite the bookcase. This room was my father's study, but as I grew older, it has become my room. And in my opinion it is the best room in our flat. My friends used to come to my place to have a chat or to play chess in the evening, and they say my room is very comfortable. I share their opinion.

Ukraine

Ukraine is situated in the South-West of Russia and covers the area of 603,700 square kilometers. The geographical position of Ukraine is very favourable to the development of its relations with countries of Europe, as well as with the countries throughout the world. It borders on Russia, Byelorussia, Moldova, Poland, Czechoslovakia, Hungary and Rumania. It is washed by the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov and has very important ports. The major part of the Ukrainian area is flat and only 5% of it is mountainous. The Ukrainian Carpathians and the Crimean Mountains are the most famous Ukrainian mountains and make up those 5%. The major rivers are the Dnieper, the Dniester, the Bug, the Donets and others.

It is well developed industrial and agricultural country. Ukraine is rich in iron ore, coal, natural gas, oil, salt and other mineral resources. The country has a big metallurgic, machine-building, fuel and power base; it is the producer of chemical and agricultural raw materials. One of the most important branches of national economy is the power industry. Besides, Ukraine produces planes and ocean-liners, tractors and combines, excavators and cars, up-to-date instruments and equipment, electronic micro-scopes and TV sets, computers and synthetic diamonds.

Scientists of Ukraine enriched the world science with important discoveries and inventions. They contributed much to solving the main problems of automation of production processes and electric welding. The Academy of Science of Ukraine includes many outstanding scientists and research workers famous for their important research work. Our scientists created new improved machines and mechanisms; they do important research work in biology, medicine, nuclear physics.

Besides different branches of industry Ukraine has highly developed mechanized agriculture. There are many, good arable lands in the country.

The population of Ukraine is over 48 million peoples. The representatives of many nationalities live there:

Ukrainians, Russians, Byelorussians, Moldavians, Poles and Bulgarians. It has very rich and varied culture and history. There are a lot of higher educational establishments in Ukraine, a lot of professional theatres and Philharmonic Societies, public libraries and state museums. Ukrainian books are exported to more than 100 countries of the world. Nowadays people of Ukraine display a keen interest in Ukrainian history and cultural heritage. Many masterpieces of Ukrainian culture have been revived.

Ukraine is a member of the United Nation Organization and takes part in the work of many international organizations. It is visited by delegations, groups of specialists, art companies, sport teams and tourists from different countries of the world and establishes new contacts with these countries.

Ukraine is an independent state. The Declaration on state sovereignty of Ukraine was adopted on July 16, 1990. The Independence of Ukraine was proclaimed on August 24, 1991.

According to Constitution of Ukraine adopted on June 28, 1996 Ukraine has a democratic political system. The President of Ukraine is the Head of state and speaks on behalf of it. The people of Ukraine elect the President to a five-year term. The state power in Ukraine is divided into legislative, executive and judicial.

Ukraine has many different registered political parties. (Green Party, Ukrainian Republican Party, Democratic Party of Ukraine, etc.)

The state symbols of Ukraine are the state Flag, state Emblem and state Anthem of Ukraine.